attack dog
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of attack dog
First recorded in 1965–70
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He can toggle between modes — attack dog in conservative media, measured moderate in mixed company — but the transitions are visible.
From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026
Previous officeholders had gone on diplomatic missions, run task forces or even served as the president’s attack dog.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2025
From the opening arguments, both sides have acknowledged Cohen’s central role in the charges against his former boss, for whom he was an uber-loyal fixer and attack dog.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2024
Mr Christie appeared to find his greatest success on the debate stage in his return to his faithful role as an attack dog focused squarely on Mr Trump.
From BBC ● Dec. 7, 2023
The vice president had a reputation for being President Nixon’s attack dog and skewering political opponents as “nattering nabobs of negativism,” “vicars of vacillation” and “pusillanimous pussyfooters.”
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 3, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
